End of an era as Bristol Airport’s Public Relations & Community Manager Jacqui Mills announces retirement

This June will see the end of an era at Bristol Airport when Jacqui Mills – the airport’s Public Relations and Community Manager retires.

Before she hangs up her high-vis and airport pass, Fresh Aviation correspondent Danny Corder sat down for a chat with Jacqui and asked her about her long service with the airport and her early career.

I started by asking Jacqui if a long career in aviation was the original plan…

“I never had an interest in aviation whilst growing up, or at the start of my career.   Although as a child I do remember going to see Concorde’s first flight from Filton in 1969 – it was amazing, the sight and the sound will stay with me forever.  Perhaps the aviation bug, got to me then, and I did not even realise it.”

After leaving school, Jacqui’s first job was working for a security company based in Bristol and it wasn’t long before Jacqui had her first taste of airport life…

“As part of the role, you were expected to work operationally, and this did involve working at Bristol and Heathrow Airports at Security Central Search.  Fascinating work and interesting to see the items some people would try to take in hand luggage.”

Staying with the security company for over ten years, it was a job she very much enjoyed during a time of great change in the UK and indeed Bristol.

“It was at the time when store detectives patrolled shops, dog patrol officers completed security checks of buildings and cash in transit armoured vehicles were used to transfer cash between banks and businesses – it was when cash used to be in weekly pay packets!  

A key client was the Bank of England and moving gold bullion around the country. During the 10 years at the company, I developed my professional career and was promoted to Regional Personnel and Development Training Manager for the South West Region – lots of stories and memories of being in the back of a cash in transit vehicles, transferring money between banks during Bristol’s St Pauls Riots, and delivering payroll to various businesses,  and helping out in the Bank of England bullion vaults during industrial strike activities.”

After ten years, Jacqui was looking for a change and new challenges and joined a Bristol-based executive travel and event management company, getting a taste of VIP hospitality.

“We were lucky enough to deal with lots of very VIP clients, arranging a wide range of events including periods of time working from The Dorchester Hotel, London.”

It wasn’t long before the airport came calling and although Jacqui didn’t realise it at the time, it would turn out to be the start of a 37 year career.

“After 2.5 years I wanted to return to a job based in Bristol and allowing quality family time at home, I noticed a vacancy working in Customer Services, Bristol Airport.  I was lucky enough to be selected and joined the Bristol Airport team, and within a short while gained promotion to Airport Duty Manager.”

During Jacqui’s time at the airport, she has held many roles and worked in different teams – Customer Services, Airport Duty Management Team, Terminal Operations, Product Development, and latterly Media, Public and Community Relations. So, did her love of aviation come from her long career or was it always there?

“I have always loved travel; I am passionate about travel, different cultures and people.  From this love, it has developed into a love of aviation and more importantly Bristol Airport. Working at the Airport is like working with an extended family.  No other business in the area offers the variety and development opportunities Bristol Airport provides. Many people who do not know or understand the Airport, always assume it’s about taking people away on holiday, but it provides so much more. Yes of course it allows for families to take a well-deserved holiday, but travel provides far deeper and richer experiences, it allows families to connect for weddings, special occasions, anniversary or birthday, funerals, education and welcoming a new baby to the family. We live in a global world and family and friends are scattered around the continents and the Airport allows families the opportunity of sharing memories together.”

And as Jacqui explains, that passion isn’t just about leisure travel, Bristol Airport’s connections with Europe have opened up opportunities far and wide for businesses in the South West and wider afield.

“Bristol Airport provides the links to major European cities for businesses to work on the global business arena and its rewarding to see a group of business people in the departure lounge preparing for a sales pitch or presentation and knowing that by the time I finish my meeting in the terminal and return to my desk in Lulsgate House, they would have arrived in a European city ready for their meeting.  You feel part of the business economy for the region and making things happen.”

So, with a history of 37 years to choose from, narrowing down special memories from her time at the airport was always going to be tricky…

“There are so many, and all so different, from being part of the transition team operationally closing the old terminal and opening the terminal in 2000; the announcement and start of Go Airline – now easyJet;  the announcement and start of the daily Continental Airlines service to New York; the Three Tenors flying in for the concert in Bath (and yes, I did get red roses from Jose Carreras); meeting Countess Raine Spencer and her wedding guests accompanied by hundreds of buckets of pink roses for the hotel, ceremony and drive of the hotel; the daily flights from the Channel Islands bringing flowers over to the mainland for the flower markets in Bristol.  NATO Conference; Champions League Final;  and other events too many to name, but over the years sports teams and headliner acts for Glastonbury, the highlights go on.”

In 2001, the world of aviation changed forever across the world and Jacqui recalls that challenging time vividly.

“Some of the memories show the true family spirit of the Airport, 9/11 being such an example. The photos and videos from 9/11 were shocking, and you did not need to be working in aviation to be impacted by the sight of aircraft being deliberately flown into the Twin Towers. But actually being part of the aviation industry at the time was incredible and it’s true, it’s how you cope with adversity that shows your true strength – Bristol showed its strength in bucket loads.  

Within hours of the tragedy, aviation changed immediately, and the teams pulled together to adapt to the rapid changes introduced, providing reassurance to customers, extras security measures, long hours were spent sourcing carrier bags from every shop, supermarket, and outlet possible, as no cabin baggage could be taken on aircraft, and all bags had to be scanned into the aircraft hold.”

In that time of adversity, Jacqui remembers a special bond held between the airport fire team and a New York fire house which lost many of their team during the attack.

“Some of them went out to New York to help at one of the Fire Houses and for many years after the disaster, we linked up and played the Cyder Cup Golf Challenge (a play on words, the big apple, cider and Ryder Cup) the golf challenge alternated each year between being played in the US or UK – it became so competitive! The Fire House team were incredible and shared many memories from the attack, and I will always remember sharing their memories after dinner, long into the night of what 9/11 was really like.  I will also remember the ‘9/11 cough’, they were all affected by the amount of dust they inhaled due to the buildings collapse and it caused a large number of the Fire House team to pass away far too early, due to lasting effects on their health of the smoke and dust.”

Bristol Airport has always worked closely with the community it serves and Jacqui fondly remembers some very special flights…

“The charity Santa flights Bristol has arranged for over 25 years will always hold a special place in my heart. Working with various airlines providing a special flight to allow life limited children, young carers and other special families the chance of a short flight going in search of Santa. I have been lucky enough to have arranged and been involved with every flight. Over 3,000 families have been able to enjoy special memories and without collaboration from the airlines it would not have been possible.

 

Thanks to our friends in Air Traffic Control, we had received on good authority information that Santa was completing test flights over Bristol Airport ahead of the big day. After a party in the departure lounge, with assistance from all the operational teams, terminal caterers and business partners, families board the fight and go in search of Santa. Obviously, he makes an appearance on the flight prior to our return to Bristol Airport and each child can meet and share their Christmas wish list and receive a teddy from Santa. It’s TEAMWORK at its best.”

Covid 19 is another key world event that Bristol Airport had to adapt to but as Jacqui describes, the airport quickly bounced back…

Covid brought its own long-term challenges for everyone, and Bristol Airport was no different.  It now seems like a dream, or nightmare,  to think what we all faced during this time.  How many times I used to hear the comments, ‘travel will never return’, and ‘the need for businesses to meet face to face have gone – they can now meet via Microsoft Teams’, how wrong were those comments. The first days after International travel was re-opened, flight bookings went through the roof, customers missed travel, and this trend has continued.  The first few months after International travel resumed, it was the teams working across the Airport, that got us through the restart, in a post Covid world.  It involved lots of early starts, late finishes, long consecutive working days, coffee and sharing tins of chocolates which helped to keep our sugar levels up! It was busy, but we all pulled together and had fun doing it too.   

After 37 years and so much change in the world, I asked Jacqui to describe just how different things are now from when she started.

“It is amazing to see how much Bristol Airport has changed, but it has always embraced change and continuous improvements.   To think the Airport is one of the oldest in the UK, it first opened in 1930.   The change which has taken place between then and now in aviation is staggering, and change will be even more rapid in the future. The Airport has always accepted and faced change and challenges head on, and the future is no different, which is why Bristol is already looking to the future, using renewable energy and investing in the latest technology.  When I joined the Airport, it handled less than 500,000 passengers per year, and I can remember celebrating handling our first 1m passengers in 12 months; today we have approval to handle 12m passengers per year.   The Airport is about looking towards the future.  More importantly it’s about the people who share the ‘Bristol Airport can-do, positive attitude’ and it’s what makes the Airport the place it is.”

As proud as she is of her long service to the airport, Jacqui points out that it’s being part of a wider team that she has valued and found so rewarding…

Bristol Airport is like a town, and a family that you can rely on; and one that makes things happen.  For anyone joining the airport it is a springboard to a fascinating and rewarding career, and if you like a job that involves change, is fast paced, working to new challenges, and embracing new technology, the airport is for you.  I have enjoyed my 37 years at Bristol Airport, and I am only part of the story and a small cog in a large successful wheel. The Airport is all about teamwork, and I would not have stayed for as long as I have if it was not for the team, and everyone pulling together making Bristol Airport the special place that it is.  I will miss the Airport and the people, but I know the Airport will continue to go from strength to strength as it has a strong team in place to take it forward.

So in June, although her time behind the scenes at the airport will be coming to a close, Jacqui will still be seen at the airport, this time as a passenger – looking forward to lots of travel and enjoying her well-earned retirement.

Many in the Bristol Airport aircraft spotting community will know Jacqui and her colleague Harry as they have made it possible for spotters to access the airport administration building rooftop terrace on select evenings throughout the summer months allowing them to enjoy the fantastic views available and helping to raise money for important local charities at the same time.

On behalf of the spotting community, the team at Fresh Aviation send our best wishes for a long, happy and travel-filled retirement!

Danny Corder has a keen interest in aviation and is responsible for Planecaster, a YouTube live streaming channel primarily broadcasting from Bristol Airport.

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